


SUTM Sanders Sides AU

by CJ_writes_stuff



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Needs a Hug, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Angst, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders Needs a Hug, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is a Dark Side, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Being Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, He doesn't stay unsympathetic tho, I mean it technically is right?, I think I got all the tags, M/M, Post-Episode: Flirting with Social Anxiety, Songfic, Steven Universe AU, Steven Universe: The Movie AU, Swearing, Temporary Amnesia, Unsympathetic Logic | Logan Sanders, i think? I've never written u!sides before, let me have my ships, lots of singing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27936301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJ_writes_stuff/pseuds/CJ_writes_stuff
Summary: When Roman comes back after months of being missing, he takes everyone down with him. Everyone that is, except Virgil. Now Virgil has to get everyone's memories back, and he's on a bit of a deadline.(I'll try to post a new chapter whenever I can)
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 53
Kudos: 46





	1. Prologue - The Forgotten One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman finds something that he probably shouldn't have. Or maybe he should have in the first place?

It was quiet in the Imagination, just as it had been for the past few months. Not that Roman was counting. He just got tired of staring at the emptiness day after day after day. He desperately wanted to see the others again, even Janus. Maybe they still remembered him. Maybe they didn’t. He just didn’t know. All he did know is that he missed them. He missed having Disney movie nights. He missed their silly little arguments. He missed when the Imagination was the place where he would go on grand and glorious quests, usually involving the Dragon Witch. Now it was just a place where he’d been left behind.

He stretched out his sore back. He’d been sitting in the same hunched over position for far too long. His posture had gotten worse as well. _It’s not very prince-like to slouch_ , he’d reminded himself. But alas, he’d gone and done it anyway.

“Darling, what seems to be the trouble?” A voice cooed behind him. Roman turned around to face the image of Virgil that he had created to keep him company. Every time, he had to remind himself that it wasn’t real. Including this time.

“Nothing at all, my stormcloud.” He replied halfheartedly. “Just thinking.”

“About what?” The image gave him a sympathetic but empty and fake smile. It was all fake.

“I don’t know. Stuff.” Roman curled into himself. The faux Anxiety sat beside him.

“Darling-”

“Stop. Just stop with that. Virgil never called me ‘darling.’” Roman cut off the copy mid sentence.

“But aren’t I supposed to be Virgil?” Its smooth voice was almost hypnotizing. Roman refused to fall prey to it.

“No. You’re not Virgil. I made you. You’re not real.” Roman shook his head. “Just leave me alone.” He knew that the copy would obey whatever he said. It didn’t have a choice. Anything Roman created would obey his wishes. The only exceptions were during his quests. He liked having a challenge.

He stepped up to what appeared to be a movie screen. It could show anything in the Mindscape. The only reasons that Roman hadn't used it was because he didn't want to invade anyone’s privacy, and that he was afraid of what he might see. But he was ready now. He had to know.

“Show me the others.” He said in a loud voice. Immediately, it was like the screen pulled him inside. He was standing in the middle of Thomas’s living room surrounded by the other Sides and Thomas. It was a similar scene to the time they had rewatched Frozen, but with one large difference. Janus was there, his arm around Patton’s shoulder. Patton’s head rested on the snakelike Side’s chest. Morality finding comfort in _Deceit. Morality_ and _Deceit._ The two didn't seem like they should go together. Morality was rights and wrongs. Deceit was all _lies._

A small laugh from one of the others pulled him out of his spiraling thoughts. He looked over to see Virgil’s smile. It was real and warm and made Roman feel _full._ But it also made his heart sink to his feet. Had Virgil really forgotten him? Was he really that insignificant that the one he loved could forget him so easily? Roman fell to his knees, the scene disappearing.

A clap of thunder sounded in the distance as Roman’s emotions began to influence the Imagination. The faux Virgil walked over to him.

“Roman, dear?” It placed a hand on the prince’s shoulder. The Side lashed out and cut the copy down with one swipe of his sword. It disappeared in a puff of mist, leaving nothing behind.

Dark clouds surrounded Roman as he cried out in agony. The light vanished from around him, the clouds swirled around faster and faster like a great tornado. The storm grew in intensity, bolts of red lightning striking out. The storm rose from the ground, higher and higher until it seemed to reach a breaking point. It fell from the sky gracefully, the clouds pulling away in the form of a fog.

The white of Roman’s princely outfit had been completely replaced by a deep black. A crown sat atop his head, resting on hair that had turned a darker shade of brown. His eyes glared a piercing red and what looked like tear-streaked mascara sat under his eyes. He walked towards the Imagination’s exit with a goal. An aim. The first quest that he’d had in nearly a year.

He glanced down at the new sword in his hand: a blade of red light crackling with energy. If they forgot him, then so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaa I've been waiting to post this for a while. Leave suggestions in the comments so I can know how to improve it in any way


	2. Chapter 1 - Other Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything seems peaceful in the Mindscape. Nothing to fear, no one to fight. Until the other Sides reunite with an unexpected visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song used: https://youtu.be/2EdGviwUj1g

“Y’know, I hope things stay like this.” Patton grinned, laying in the soft grass in a quiet corner of the Mindscape.

“Agreed.” Logan nodded.

“Hear hear!” Remus giggled.

“Could be better, but I see where you’re coming from.” Virgil shrugged.

“Got any calculations on how the future might go, Logan?” Patton turned his head to face the logical Side.

“Certainly.” Logan pulled out a notepad and began scribbling something onto it. “Factoring in the timing of our previous arguments, major events in Thomas’s life, the probability of disaster, the state of his mental health…”

“ _Do_ go on with the rambling. It _never_ gets old.” Janus rolled his eyes.

“Oh. Right. I’ll just cut to the point. The next major disaster and/or major event should happen in…” Logan trailed off as he stared at the notepad.

“Logan? You okay there, buddy?” Virgil asked the stunned Side. Logan blinked and looked up from the notepad.

“It should be in a few moments.” The entire Mindscape seemed to fall silent. “But that doesn’t make any sense!” He tossed the notepad aside, running his hands through his hair. “Nothing is happening that should be cause for concern! There are no more roadblocks, I made sure of that!”

“Wait, roadblocks?” Virgil’s voice hitched on the last word. “What do you mean, ‘ _roadblocks_ ’?”

Logan didn’t get the chance to answer, because a strong gust of wind entered the otherwise peaceful scene. A fog rolled over the landscape, a silhouette appearing a few yards in front of the group.

“So nice to see you all again. It’s a shame that our reunion couldn’t have been sooner.” The figure’s voice sent a chill through their spines.

“Wh-who are you?” Patton called out through the fog, clinging to Janus’s side.

The figure waved a hand and the mist cleared around them. Patton gasped and clasped a hand over his mouth. “Well, well, well. Let me get a good look at this little menagerie.” Roman smirked.

“I-it can’t be…” Logan stammered, his face as white as a sheet.

“Oh, but it can be. And it is!” Roman raised a hand, palm upwards. “I’ve got a new style and a few new toys that are going to put an end to this little happily ever after you’ve got going here.”

“Whoa, wait! This has to be a misunderstanding!” Patton interrupted, receiving a glare from Roman.

“Roman…?” Virgil’s voice was small. “Is that– is that really you?”

“Really now? Doubting what you see, Virgil?” Roman laughed. “No need for any of you to recap me. I know all about it. I just adore the part where everyone spends the rest of their days happily in the Mindscape, all _roadblocks_ eliminated!” Roman shot a glare at a terrified Logan before jumping into the middle of the group, nearest to Patton. Janus pulled out his cane defensively.

“ _That’s right, I heard the story over and over again!_ ” Roman sang, grabbing Janus and pulling him into a twirl.  
“ _My, it’s swell to finally meet your other friends!_ ” Roman dipped Janus and pushed him away, sliding over to circle Remus, who had his morningstar in hand.  
“ _That’s right, I heard the story, don’t really like how it ends!_ ” Roman tapped Remus on the nose.  
“ _My, it’s swell to finally meet your other friends!_ ” Roman took the morningstar out of his twin’s hands and tossed it aside.  
“ _What did he say about me, what did he say?_ ” Roman wrapped an arm around Logan.  
“ _What did you do without me, what did you do?_ ” Roman twirled Patton around, the moral Side spinning rapidly like a top.  
“ _Did you have fun without me, did you have fun?_ ” Roman walked around Virgil, then turned to face all of them.  
“ _Did you think all this time that I wouldn’t find out about you?_ ” The dark prince gestured to the startled Sides in front of him.  
“ _Oh, that’s right I heard the story over and over again!_ ” Roman pushed each Side towards each other, the figments toppling over each other like Dominoes.  
“ _My, it’s swell to finally meet your other friends._ ” He jumped up on top of a wall that he had conjured behind them.

Patton rubbed his head. “He’s running circles around us.” He said breathlessly.

“I’m rusty, gimme a break!” Remus groaned, crawling towards his morningstar.

“I-it really is him… but he can’t be serious?” Logan gasped.

“Wait, did _you_ do something to make this happen?” Virgil’s voice shook. Roman growled under his breath.

“ _‘Was it him?’ ‘Was it him?’ What are you even saying?_ ” Roman threw his hands in the air.  
“ _I’m the loser of his game I didn’t know I was playing!_ ” He pointed an accusing finger at Logic. He glanced at the sword hilt on his belt and a more calm grin spread across his face  
“ _Let’s play another game, this time I get to win!_ ” He tossed it up in the air and caught it again.  
“ _Lives on the line, winner takes all!_ ” A blade of red light crackling with energy appeared at the end of the hilt. Roman twirled it around in his hand.  
“ _Ready or not, let’s begin!_ ” He jumped off the wall, sword in hand.  
“ _Oh, that’s right I heard the story over and over again!_ ” He took a few swipes at the other Sides, who barely dodged the blade.  
“ _My, it’s swell to finally beat your other friends!_ ” Janus’s cane was knocked out of his hand, sent flying a few feet before resting in the grass next to Virgil.  
“ _That’s right, I heard the story, don’t really like how it ends!_ ” The blade came down again and again and again, barely missing every time.  
“ _My, it’s swell to finally beat your other…_ ” All the Sides except Virgil charged at Roman.  
“ _Other…_ ” Roman charged right back at them.  
“ _Other…!_ ” There was one final swing…  
“ _Friends!_ ” Virgil watched as four torsos separated from their lower halves (not in a gruesome way). The Sides disappeared in explosions of mist, leaving only their logos behind.

Virgil grabbed the cane and stood up. “That’s enough, Roman!”

“Aw, what’s the matter, Virgil? Do you miss them? Well, why don’t you join them!” Roman jumped high in the air and brought the sword down, only for it to be blocked by the cane. Red lines of energy spread across the cane. It touched Virgil’s hand and quickly spread across his body.

A scream of pain rang throughout the Mindscape as Virgil pulled away quickly, panting for breath.

“You’re hard to get rid of, aren’t you?” Roman smiled maliciously. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t _actually_ going to do it. But you won’t be able to try and be Thomas’s little hero. Not after that little shock.”

“What are you talking about?” Virgil threw a hand up in confusion.

“You weren’t always the good guy, were you?” Roman grinned, a malicious cackle escaping his throat. Virgil gripped the cane and struck the hand that held the sword. It flew up in the air, and Virgil caught it by the handle. He screwed his eyes shut and swung it down Roman’s middle. The princely Side only kept laughing before a burst of mist abruptly stopped the sound. Virgil opened his eyes to see Roman’s logo on the ground in front of him.

“Ro…” He choked out before curling into himself and finally letting his tears free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoooo this was fun to write. Hope you all liked this chapter! Next chapter may or may not have a teeny bit of lore.


	3. Chapter 2 - system/BOOT.logan_final(3).Info

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil goes to Thomas for help, where they both learn the fate of the other Sides.... and something else.

The only sounds in Thomas’s apartment was the quiet hum of the microwave heating up leftovers and the “ _tap tap tap_ ” sound of a phone’s keyboard. Nothing was happening, just peace and quiet for once.

Until he felt that tug at his chest that told him a Side was here. Before he could look up, Virgil’s hands were gripping his shoulders tightly.

“Thomas, are you okay?! Do you feel okay?!” Virgil’s face was full of fear and desperation.

“Uh, yeah I’m fine. You’re starting to freak me out, though.” Thomas replied. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Virgil pulled away from Thomas and reached into his pocket with a trembling hand. He pulled out five small items that were nearly the same size. He set them down on the coffee table, and Thomas gasped upon seeing the symbols of his Sides laid out in front of him as if they were poofed Gems from Steven Universe.

“He got them all.” Virgil whimpered, pulling his hoodie tighter around himself.

“Who…?” Thomas asked nervously. Virgil glanced at Roman’s symbol, separated from the others. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and he quickly looked away. Thomas didn’t need further explanation. “...Oh.”

“He just showed up all of a sudden and he was just so _upset_. He was always one step ahead of us, and he got them all with one blow.” Virgil explained. “I just don’t know why he spared _me_ , of all Sides.”

Thomas didn’t say anything. They both stared at the emblem of the princely Side. It looked a bit different now, The gold circle that once resembled a sun now vaguely resembled a moon during its waxing crescent phase. The flowing ribbons were now twisting branches of thorns. The castle looked almost the same if it weren’t for the more pointed spires. The once calmly swirling seas had become jagged and rough. It was the emblem of a fallen king, or rather, a prince.

“Hey.” Thomas put a comforting hand on Virgil’s very tense shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “I’m not making you anxious.”

“Hm?”

“I’m really freaking out right now and you’re not.” Virgil’s voice wavered in fear.

“What do you mean?”

“Thomas, that’s not supposed to be happening!”

Virgil quickly looked away when Thomas tensed in realization. He couldn’t influence him anymore. He was basically useless. Just a burden the others would have to deal with.

“...rgil?”

He couldn’t do anything he couldn’t help Thomas couldn’t protect him couldn’t keep him safe no no no this was bad wrong all wrong no no no no no no no

“VIRGIL!” Thomas’s hands were on his wrists, holding them steady. “Breathe.”

Virgil tried to remember the pattern. In for four. Or was it five? Or three? Four. Four was right. Hold for seven. Six? No, seven. Out for eight. He repeated until the violent thumping of his heart slowed to a relaxed beat.

“Th… ank y-you…” Virgil whispered. The moment was cut off suddenly by Logan’s symbol beginning to glow and rise into the air. The two looked at each other and quickly stood up. The light solidified and took the form of a brightly glowing mannequin.

“Welcome, Thomas Sanders.” A voice that was Logan’s but also very new and unknown spoke.

“Uh, is this normal?” Thomas asked Virgil.

“I, uh… don’t know. They haven’t exactly been…” Virgil waved his hand, searching for the right term. “...poofed. Not before today.”

“Please select preferred customization options.” The voice spoke again, startling them.

“What?”

“Please select preferred customization options.” The voice repeated.

“I-I don’t know?” Thomas shrugged.

“Default setting selected. Please stand by.” The voice then ceased, and color began to form on the glowing mannequin. The light pulled away, revealing what they knew as Logic. Logan was back.

“Oh my gosh, don’t ever scare me like that again!” Virgil dashed over to wrap his arms around the logical Side. Logan stepped to the side, causing Virgil to fall forwards. “What the heck, man?!”

Logan turned to Thomas, an unusually calm smile on his face.

“Logan? You good there, buddy?” Thomas asked nervously.

“ _How do you do, my Thomas Sanders. Thank you for bringing me into the world._ ” Logan sang, placing a hand on his chest.  
“ _I am at your eternal service. Welcome to your Logic._ ” Logan extended his hand. Oh. _Oh no._

“Wh-what’s going on?!” Thomas turned to Virgil. “He never sings!”

“I don’t know!” Virgil cried. “He wasn’t like this before! It’s like he’s reverted back to… back to… oh no…”

“What? Virgil, what’s wrong?” Thomas’s eyes darted from Logan to Virgil and back again. A green glow behind them signaled the arrival of Remus. He only wore a simple black suit with a green sash. It almost looked like Roman’s old outfit with a different color scheme.

“R-Remus?” Virgil gasped.

“Who the fuck are you?” Remus eyed the anxious Side up and down.

“I could _really_ use an explanation, here!”

“Allow me to illuminate!” Logan stepped in, causing Thomas to let out a startled squeak.  
“ _Creativity. But just a single one. They tend to come in groups of two or more._ ” Logan sang. The group’s attention was turned to a reforming Janus.  
“ _The snakelike Deceit. He stands for lying. That’s what he is for._ ” Logan stepped back now that his presentation was over. At least for now.

“Oooh! Snakey!” Remus giggled, rushing over to Janus. The deceitful Side stopped him with a single gloved hand. He wore a black suit jacket over a yellow shirt. The only thing that didn’t change was his hat and gloves.

“ _Please_ keep that up. It’s _not_ annoying.” The Side rolled his eyes. “You’re _definitely_ going to last more than a day if you keep that up.”

Remus only laughed. “I like you! Come on, we got some shit to fuck up!” And with that, Janus was dragged into the bathroom.

A light blue glow alerted the remaining three to Patton’s return.

“Patton!” Virgil paused at the moral Side’s curious stare. “Uh… Morality?”

“Uh… Morality?” Patton mimicked.

“What, no! You’re Morality!” Virgil cried desperately.

“What, no! You’re Morality!” The oblivious Side only repeated him. Logan stepped in between the two.

“ _You must be right! This is Morality._ ” Logan nodded, then turned to Patton with a perplexed look.  
“ _Except Morality knows right and wrong. This one is not the best example. Something is clearly wrong._ ” Logan shrugged, Patton mimicking his pose. “ _I do say, something is clearly wrong. What made all these Sides manifest at the same time? And why so late in Thomas’s life?_ ”

“Logan, don’t you recognize them? Don’t you recognize me?” Virgil’s voice shook.

“How do you know my… never mind. I certainly recognize everyone’s functions. Were you not listening?” Logan paused. “As for you, you look like Anxiety. Am I correct?”

Virgil opened his mouth, but was cut off by Roman’s glowing emblem rising into the air and taking its old form. The dramatic Side twirled around dramatically.

“Greetings, fair citizens and you nerds!” Roman grinned, no sign of malicious intent anywhere on his face. His outfit was back to its first form: a white costume with a single gold cord around his shoulder. Of course, the crimson sash was still present as it always had been.

“Y-You’re not mad?” Virgil blinked in shock.

“Mad? Why would I be mad? I just got here, ya creepy cookie.” The princely Side straightened his sash. “Anyways, I’m here now. You’re welcome.”

“ _This will be fun!_ ” Logan appeared behind Thomas, startling him.  
“ _Aren’t you the lucky one! His cut is perfect and has flair as well. He’ll be your source of inspiration: your other Creativity!_ ” Roman posed dramatically on the last note. The apartment was quiet again until Thomas broke the silence.

“What did you _do_ to them?” He asked Roman, voice wavering.

“Huh?”

“They’re all vacant and they don’t remember…” Thomas trailed off. “Aaand you don’t remember, either. Never mind.”

“Remember what?”

All of a sudden, Thomas winced in pain, one hand clutching his head.

“What? What’s wrong?” Virgil rushed to Thomas’s side.

“Headache,” he shrugged. “That’s all.”

“Hm,” Virgil thought for a moment. “Go get some water. I’m gonna go check on things.” With that, Virgil sunk out.

What Virgil found was anything but pleasant. There were small cracks throughout the area where they had fought Roman, and they were glowing _red._ Virgil reached down and placed his hand on one. The crack burned with energy and Virgil pulled his hand back, wincing in pain.

“What are these?” He glanced back at his hand and noticed that the wound wasn’t a burn wound. It was just static where the crack had touched it. Virgil reeled back from the cracks, watching the static on his hand slowly disappear, leaving no sign of scarring or any evidence of a wound.

Virgil curled his fist gently. He almost got erased. Wait. No no no no no no this was really bad. He had to stop this.

Without knowing it, Roman had initiated the erasing of everything. Virgil knew that Roman’s intent was not to hurt Thomas. No one in the Mindscape would ever dream of doing that. But it was happening, though unintentionally. And it was happening _fast._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter felt rushed I’m sorry about that. Aaaanyways my Virgil sweater got delivered today! I’m gonna go pick it up on Sunday, which, is right before I upload new chapter. So yay, hope you liked it. Leave suggestions and constructive criticism in the comments, I look forward to hearing your feedback!


	4. Chapter 3 - Who We Are

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is sad, but maybe Thomas can help?

“Whoa, _WHAT?_ " Thomas’s jaw dropped at Virgil’s news. Virgil only nodded in response. “And you say that you don't think Roman meant to do this?” Another nod.

“I think he only meant to erase _them_. But in doing so, he… yeah.” Virgil pulled his hoodie tighter around himself. He took the deactivated sword hilt out of his pocket. “He used this to do it.”

The blade of red light sprang to life in Virgil’s hand. It was practically vibrating with insane amounts of energy. Thomas stared at it, eyes wide with shock and the slightest bit of fear.

“Where did you get that?” Logan asked, startling the two. He had an expression of slight surprise on his face.

“Um…” Virgil’s gaze flicked from the sword to rest on Roman, who stood a few feet behind Logan and was energetically talking to Patton. Logan seemed to notice this.

“This has something to do with Creativity?”

“W-well…” Virgil trailed off. “Wait, do you know what this is?”

“Of course I do. It’s a Factory Reset.” Logan walked to Virgil’s end of the couch. “May I?”

Virgil nodded and handed the logical Side the weapon. “I’d feel a little better if I didn’t ever have to touch it again. Beggars can’t be choosers, though.”

“Interesting. I haven’t seen one of these before.”

“What do you know about it?” Thomas asked.

“Any Side can summon one, though it takes much effort and can cause a lot of strain on the Side. If a Side’s form is destroyed by this, then everything will be reset for that Side. Overuse can lead to… serious consequences.” Logan cast an uneasy look at Thomas.

“Wait, if that’s true, then why do I still remember? I was hit by it too, just not in… the same way.” Virgil glanced at the other four Sides, Janus and Remus having come out of the bathroom covered in who knows what.

“Hm. Well, it must not have been a direct hit.” Logan shrugged, handing the glowing weapon back to Virgil. He walked back to his own spot on the couch and returned to his book.

“HEY!” A harsh voice cut through the calm-ish setting. Roman was looking between Virgil and the Factory Reset. “What are you doing with such a threatening weapon, Anxiety?”

“I…” Virgil trailed off. His voice lowered to just above a whisper. “I’m not gonna do anything with it, Roman.”

Roman froze in his tracks. “Where did you learn that name?”

“Well, um…”

“‘Well, um’ what?”

“Never mind, you’re not gonna understand.” Virgil was trying desperately to keep himself together. Roman looked him up and down.

“Alright, but I’ve got my eye on you.” And with that, the conversation was over.

Virgil curled in on himself, screwing his eyes shut so that the tears that were threatening to spill out would stay in. Everything was back to how it was before. When Roman hated him. He deactivated the Factory Reset and put it in his pocket. His hand brushed against something glossy and thin. He opened his eyes, taking the object between his fingers and pulled it out. Smiling back at him was the picture of both him and Roman on their first date in the Imagination. All the tears that had only threatened to spill out before now broke free. He held the picture tightly to his chest as he sobbed. He could feel Thomas’s hand on his back, the man rubbing circles and trying to reassure him.

“Th-Thomas…?” Virgil hiccuped, turning his head to look at him. “What a-are we gon...na do…?”

“I…” Thomas sighed. “I don’t know.” Virgil flinched slightly. That was the response he was hoping to not receive. But yet it had come. He took the picture away from his chest to look at it. He put his finger next to Roman’s face. The image of the prince giving the anxious Side a peck on the cheek had always sat in Virgil’s pocket. He always kept it with him, even when Roman had still been around. Now instead of bringing him a warmth in his chest as it always had, it now stabbed a cold steel knife of grief into his heart.

“ _Here we are in the future…_ ” Virgil sang quietly.  
“ _Here we are in the future, and it’s wrong._ ” Tears dripped onto the photograph.  
“ _It seemed a second ago, we were getting along._ ” He looked up at the other vacant Sides.  
“ _And now, they’re gone because of him._ ” He gazed sadly at the flamboyant prince. The enthusiasm on Roman’s face greatly contrasted the grief written all over Virgil’s.  
“ _Happily ever after, there we were._ ” A memory of the two laughing in the Imagination shortly after that trip to the mall flashed through Virgil’s mind. He pulled his knees up to his chest.

Something clicked in Thomas’s mind when he saw how much pain that the embodiment of his Anxiety was in. He placed his hand on Virgil’s shoulder and took a deep breath.

“ _When has it ever been easy? Hasn’t it always been hard to be us?_ " Virgil peeked out from under his messy bangs.  
“ _When you go against the grain, there’s always somebody around you can’t trust._ " Both of their gazes shifted to Roman. Virgil’s eyes flicked to Logan for a second. He had been acting strange when Roman had come back. What had happened? What had Logic done?  
“ _That’s why we’ve got to have each other, why we’ll figure this out we must._ ” Thomas stood up and held out his hand for Virgil.  
“ _Because we are a famILY. And we never give up, no you never gave up on me._ ” Virgil paused before taking Thomas’s hand. Thomas helped him stand up and wiped a stray tear from his Side’s face.  
“ _As long as one of you is standing to do their part, we’ll find a way to save the day, that’s who we are._ ” Virgil sighed and pushed past Thomas to a more centered area of the small room.

“ _Here we are in the future,_ ” Virgil stared at his shoes.  
“ _Here we are in the future, and it’s wrong!_ ” He looked up to stare at the wall, then turned around to face Thomas, his arm swinging out to motion to the others.  
“ _Look at them, they don’t even know that they’re gone._ ” He spotted the card Patton had given him back when he had ducked out laying on the coffee table. He picked it up with shaking hands.  
“ _If I could have just stopped right there, we’d be…_ ” He opened up the card to the stick figures of each of the main four.  
“ _Totally fine, totally us, totally me…_ ” He held the card close to his chest. Thomas set his hand on Virgil’s arm.

“ _Even if it takes the rest of our lives to get them back, we will._ ” He gave Virgil a comforting smile.  
“ _They may not know who they are, but we do._ ” Logan gave the two a blank stare.  
“ _Believe me, Virgil, we’ve known them longer. We’ve seen them get through worse and come back stronger!_ ” Thomas took both of his hands in his, gently but firmly.  
“ _That’s why I believe in them, and I believe in you!_ ” Virgil lifted his head to make eye contact with Thomas.  
“ _Because we are a famILY!_ ” Thomas was now smiling, practically belting out the song.  
“ _And we never give up! No, you never gave up on me!_ ” He led Virgil to his normal spot on the stairs to show him that the others were also standing in theirs.  
“ _As long as one of you is standing to do their part,_ ” Virgil turned back to look at Thomas, whose eyes were full of hope and confidence.  
“ _We’ll find a way to save the day, that’s who we are!_ ”

“Right, okay.” Virgil nodded. “Let’s put our heads together. There’s gotta be some way to make them remember.”

“If I may, I can inform you on a possible way to reverse the effects of a Factory Reset.” Logan interrupted next to them.

“Huh?”

“I’ll try to simplify. Metaphorically, it’s like a puzzle. Give them all the metaphorical pieces, and eventually they will get the metaphorical picture.”

“Hey, wait… that’s a good idea! If every memory is a piece of who they are, we just have to give them all the right pieces!” Thomas beamed at his Logic.

“Are you serious? That could take forever…” Virgil muttered uneasily.

“Exactly. So let’s get started.” Thomas grinned. Virgil smiled and nodded.

“ _We’ll find a way to save the day, that’s who we are!_ ” The two sang, Virgil finding new confidence. They stood there, smiling for a moment.

“ _Here we are in the future… yeah!_ ” Roman pushed in between them, riffing on the “yeah”. “ _Here we are in the future, and it’s wroooong!_ ” He dramatically lifted the back of his hand to his forehead. Virgil was quick to speak.

“Whoa, uh, Princey, it’s okay. We’re done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM LATE IM SO SORRY
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Would there be any other ships you guys would like to see in this AU? Other than the ones already established in the story, of course.


	5. Chapter 4 - Hijinks Will Ensue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil and Thomas decide to try and get Patton's memories back first. Roman decides to supervise Virgil as he goes into the Imagination. Hijinks will ensue.
> 
> In other words, Roman's an idiot.

Virgil paced anxiously around the room, running his hands through his hair or biting his thumb whenever Thomas would get a small headache. He and Thomas knew how to bring everyone back. They just needed to know what to do next.

“So, let’s talk about what we know.” Thomas paused. “What do we know?”

“I don’t know!” Virgil groaned, fingers entangled in his hair. “I wasn’t exactly around you guys that often before you accepted me.”

“Oh…” Thomas’s voice got quiet. “I’m really sorry about pushing you away-”

“Thomas, it’s been almost two years. You can stop apologizing.” Virgil sighed.

“I know. I still feel bad about it.”

“I know…” Virgil chuckled quietly. His small smile turned to a frown almost immediately. “But we still _don’t_ know how to find their ‘pieces’ or whatever.”

“Hm,” Thomas thought for a moment. “Let’s focus on one Side. How about Patton?”

Virgil looked over at the moral Side, who was mimicking whatever Roman did. “...Yeah. Let’s start with him.”

“Okay. What do we know about _Patton_? You hung out with him more than you did with everyone else before we accepted you.”

“Well… he’d do anything to protect anyone and hated it when any of us were being self-deprecating. You know that part.” Virgil thought.

“Could we ask him about rights and wrongs…?” Thomas asked reluctantly.

“What? No, we actually can’t! He’s just mimicking whatever we do like he’s a little kid again,” Virgil’s voice cracked at the end of the last sentence. “He doesn’t know anything for himself.”

“... Oh.” That was all Thomas said. The two exchanged worried glances between each other and the reset Sides.

“Maybe if we… no. Never mind.” Virgil shook his head.

“What? What was it?”

“It’s not gonna work.”

“Virgil, what is it?” Thomas stood up slowly. Virgil paused and took a deep breath before telling him.

“Y’know how Patton was really close with J… Deceit?”

“Yeah, almost like they were dating.”

“Well, actually they wer–wait, how did you know that they were dating?”

“I didn’t?” Thomas’s eyes widened. “They _were_?!”

“Oh my god, Thomas…” Virgil sighed and hid his face behind his hand. “Anyways. I just thought that if we set them up, it might be enough to jog Patton’s memory. It’s stupid, I don’t know why I thought of it.”

“No, I think it’s a good idea.” Thomas reassured the anxious Side. “We could try that.”

“...Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Thomas nodded. Virgil let out a heavy sigh.

“Alright. We’re doing this.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” A bubbly voice piped up behind them. Both heads whipped around to face Patton, who had somehow snuck up behind them while they had been talking.

“Hey, uh, Pa… Morality.” Thomas waved nervously. Patton tilted his head to the side before parroting Thomas’s movements.

“Why don’t you, uh, go spend some time with Deceit?” Thomas offered, trying to sound cheery. He felt like he was talking to a toddler.

“Spend some time with Deceit.” Patton repeated, clearly not understanding what that meant.

“Try calling him over,” Virgil muttered just loud enough for Thomas to hear. Thomas thought about it, then nodded. He called for Janus to join them, careful to not use his actual name. The scaled Side reluctantly walked over to the three. Virgil fought the urge to shoot an insult at him.

“I _totally_ know why you called me over here.” Janus rolled his eyes.

“Oh, uh, well we just thought you might like to spend some time with Morality!” Thomas forced a smile and lightly nudged Patton to stand in front of Janus.

“...Morality.” Janus skeptically raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, that is him. Be nice.” Thomas nodded nervously. Janus looked Patton up and down before extending his hand.

“I _don’t_ believe introductions are in order. I am _not Deceit_.” He kept his gloved hand in front of the moral Side, expecting a handshake. “I _do_ have all day, Morality. Get on with it.”

Patton stared at the hand in curiosity before raising his own hand in the same way Janus had. Janus sighed and grasped Patton’s raised hand in a firm handshake. Patton copied, and his face lit up with excitement. Janus’s firm gaze softened ever so slightly, and he sunk out with the other still holding his hand.

“I’d say that went pretty well.” Thomas shrugged. Virgil rolled his eyes.

“Aren’t you going to follow them?” A loud voice interrupted. Virgil avoided meeting Roman’s eyes.

“I don’t… I don’t think so…”

“Well I would. Who knows where that slimy snake could be taking our dear Morality?” Roman glared at the spot where the two had sunk out.

“Smooth.” Logan interrupted.

“Huh?”

“Snake scales are smooth, not slimy.” Logan stated, not even looking up from his book. He smiled in satisfaction once he had finished speaking.

“Shut up, Microsoft Nerd. No one asked you.”

“Yeesh, Princey. Lay off a little bit.” Virgil found himself saying. He slapped a hand over his mouth once he realized what he’d said.

“Fineee…” Roman whined over-dramatically. “You’re no fun.”

Virgil looked down at his shoes. He missed the days when Roman would spend hours with him in the Imagination, laughing as Roman would spin Virgil around in his arms. He missed when Roman would call him all those light-hearted, silly nicknames. If he could only get Roman back, they could go back to how things used to be.

“I’ll go.” Virgil nodded.

“What?” Both Roman and Thomas spoke at the same time.

“I’ll go after them. To, uh, keep an eye on them.” Virgil shifted uncomfortably. Roman paused, then nodded.

“I believe I should supervise.” Roman announced, one hand slowly going to his side, where he would usually summon his sword.

“Oh. Are you okay with that Vi… Anxiety?” Thomas asked, his voice catching as he said Virgil’s old name.

Virgil clenched his fist around the fabric of his hoodie sleeve and screwed his eyes shut. “Okay. He can… he can come.”

“Splendid.” Roman smiled, clapping his hands together. “Come along, Anxiety.”

And just like that, Virgil found himself following Roman deeper and deeper into the Imagination. He knew this time was different. But something about being here made him have a strong urge to gently comb his fingers through the prince’s soft hair, or to just _hold_ him and tell him that he was so, so sorry. That he should have told him how much Virgil loved him.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Roman’s voice cut through Virgil’s thoughts. Virgil quickly looked down.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” And with that, the conversation was over.

The two soon came to a clearing where Janus and Patton were both having a conversation. Well, Janus was talking and Patton was listening.

“...of course there are going to be times where it is necessary to protect those you care about. But you can’t forget to take care of yourself.” Janus was saying, his voice sounding tired.

“Hey there, Severus _Snake_.” Roman announced himself. Janus sighed.

“ _Do_ keep up with the wordplay, it _never_ gets old. And besides, humoring J.K. Rowling, a known enemy of the transgender community, is _definitely_ something we should be doing.”

“I… you’re right, sorry. That was, uh, pretty un-princely of me.” Roman’s face twisted in regret.

“Moving on,” Virgil interrupted. “How are you getting along with Patton?”

“He’s _awful_.” Janus sighed.

“Oh,” Virgil blinked in surprise.

“He doesn’t seem to know much of anything. Only how to shake hands.” The snakelike Side sighed. “I’ve been trying to teach him anything but it seems to go in one ear and out the other. Perhaps one of you could be of assistance. I’m _not_ going to rest for a moment.”

“Well, you listen here–”

“Okay.” Virgil cut Roman off. “R… Princey, why don’t you show Patton some of your… quests? What are they called?”

“Quests.” Roman nodded. “And I would be happy to oblige. Come along, Padre!”

Roman led a curious Patton off to another area of the Imagination, leaving Virgil and Janus by themselves.

“We should probably follow them.” Virgil remarked.

“Indeed. Hijinks are bound to ensue.”

They both took off after the two excitable Sides just in time to see Roman conjuring a large dragon. He seemed to be showing Patton how to… _fight_ it. Oh no.

“Now, see how I’m not just waving the sword around all over the place? You have to be meticulous, precise, and poised.” He dodged a swipe from the dragon’s tail. “And also quick on your feet. Sooner or later,” He swung the blade through the dragon’s form, reducing it into nothing but mist. “You will best the dragon. Wanna give it a try?”

A practice sword appeared in the air in front of Patton. Wordlessly, the moral Side took it in both hands.

“Uh, Princey, maybe don’t do this?” Virgil reached out and grabbed Roman’s arm.

“Well, he has to learn. Besides, he’ll be fine. It’s the Imagination, and no injuries are real.” Roman insisted. “He’s doing great already.”

“That rule only applies to you! Pa… _Morality_ could actually get hurt!” Virgil desperately pleaded. Roman’s eyes widened in realization. 

“Oh… I messed up, didn’t I?” Roman bit his lip.

“Yeah, I’d say you did!” Virgil shouted, maybe a bit too loud. He drew back when Roman winced.

Their attention was turned to a fearful yelp from Patton. The dragon had gotten out of Roman’s control and was raising a clawed hand to strike Patton with a blow that would surely kill him. The practice sword was lying a few feet away.

“NO!” Virgil screamed, trying to run to the helpless Side. Roman grabbed his arm, holding him back.

“Don't, Anxiety! You’re going to get yourself hurt, and then I’m going to have to go all the way back to Logic to take care of you.” Roman snapped. Virgil stopped struggling immediately. He watched in horror as the dragon swung its claws down towards the moral Side.

“ _PATTON!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm BACK! So sorry about the long wait  
> This one wasn't a song chapter (for once). It felt very very rushed and I came up with most of it on the spot.  
>  ~~Yeah i really don't like J.K. Rowling~~
> 
> Let me know in the comments if this chapter can be improved or if you want to see anything else in this AU.


	6. Chapter 5 - Isn’t It Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Side returns, the other doesn’t.

Everything was still and silent.

_“What?”_

_“Wait, huh?”_

_“Where am I?”_

_“What happened?”_

_“Patton?”_

_“Patton!”_

Janus slowly opened his eyes. Patton stood in front of him against blank white scenery. Roman and Virgil were gone, nowhere to be seen. They stared at each other for a moment before taking a few steps toward each other.

_Suddenly hot, I’m…_

Another step towards each other. Their blank surroundings seemed to wash away into the bright colors of blue and yellow.

_Suddenly cool, I’m…_

They were almost touching now. Janus reaches one hand out, and Patton mirrors his movements.

_Suddenly a genius, I’m suddenly a fool, I’m…_

A moment passes through their minds. They both see Janus throwing himself towards Patton to save him, a bright light enveloping them both. They blink the image away, meeting each other’s eyes.

_Suddenly fact, but I feel…_

Was this real?

_Stranger than fiction, I’m new_  
_But I’m suddenly back,_  
_I’m a walking contradiction_

It shouldn’t be compatible, the two of them. But there was something about Patton’s warm smile that made Janus nearly melt every time.

_Doesn’t this have a name?_

The two circled each other, unsure of what to do.

_Doesn’t this have a name?_

They bumped into each other and froze, their faces just half a foot from the other’s.

_Doesn't this have a name?_

They brought their hands to meet the other’s, fingers intertwining. It sent a strange sensation through Janus.

_And isn’t it, isn't it, isn’t it love?_

Without thinking, Janus twirled Patton around. The other Side giggled as he spun around.

_Isn’t it, isn’t it, isn’t it love?_

The two found themselves in an elaborate, fast-paced waltz. Janus found that he didn’t want to let go.

_And isn’t it, isn’t it, isn’t it love?_

Janus began took Patton by the hand, twirling him around again.

_Isn’t it, isn't it, isn’t it love?_

The snakelike Side pulled Patton into a low dip, stopping just before their lips met. A warm glow enveloped them and their surroundings.

And then everything was familiar again.

———————

“Ow.” Janus pinched the bridge of his nose and straightened his hat. He brushed off his cape and straightened his posture.

“Janus…?” He heard a quiet voice behind him. He turned around to see Virgil standing there in shock. Were those… tears in his eyes?

“What?” He was interrupted by Virgil tackling him in a hug. What the hell. He locked eyes with Roman, who was watching on in surprise.

Wait.

“Wait, no!” Virgil cried as Janus threw himself at the prince.

“What the _hell_ did you do?” He snarled, Roman’s sash held firmly in his grip.

“Janus, stop! He doesn’t remember!” Virgil pushed himself in between the two.

“In case you don’t recall, _he tried to kill us!_ ” Janus hissed.

“Yeah, I _know._ ” Virgil sighed. “I _just_ said he doesn’t remember. He doesn’t remember anything beyond what Thomas already knows and what he’s supposed to do.” Virgil’s voice wavered a bit. He took out the picture of their first date and handed it to Janus. “He doesn’t remember _us._ ”

Janus studied the picture for a moment before it clicked. “Oh.” He didn’t have a response this time. Though he hated to admit it, he always thought Roman was good for Virgil and that Virgil was good for Roman. They were an unlikely pair, though not as unlikely as himself and Patton.

Patton.

He turned around to face a stunned Side sitting on the ground. He shoved the picture back into Virgil’s hands and rushed to Patton’s side.

“Patton? Patton, dear, can you hear me?” His gloved hand grasped Patton’s, squeezing gently. “Are you alright?”

After a moment, the moral Side spoke. “Are you alright?”

“I’m alright, but what about you?” Janus’s eyebrows furrowed in concern and just the slightest bit of confusion. Patton blinked.

“I’m alright, but what about you?” Patton mimicked. Janus blinked, a bit stunned. What? He looked Patton over, checking for injuries. Mostly his head. His hand moved to brush one sleeve of the gray cardigan aside before he promptly froze. Patton hasn’t worn that cardigan since Logan had given him the cat hoodie.

“Virgil, he’s wearing the cardigan.” Janus’s voice trembled. 

“I know.” Virgil sighed.

“He hasn’t worn that in three years.”

“I… he doesn’t remember either. Neither does Logan or Remus. I thought that maybe if we set you two up, then maybe we could get his memories back, but…” Virgil trailed off.

“O-oh.”

“Excuse me, I’m still confused.” Roman raised his hand in exasperation. Both heads turned to face the Side. 

“I doubt you’d want to hear it from me.” Virgil frowned.

“That–!” Roman started to object. “That is… correct…” Roman sighed in annoyance, then promptly sunk out.

“He doesn’t even know my name.” Virgil’s head snapped around at the sound of Janus’s voice. The snakelike Side was watching Morality studying the sleeve of his own cardigan.

“We’re going to get him back.” Virgil tried to reassure Janus.

“And if we don’t?”

Virgil didn’t know what to say to that. He lowered his arm back to his side. “...I don’t know.”

The two stood in silence for a few moments. Virgil would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about what would happen if they couldn’t get the others back. Would Thomas lose his memories? He certainly wouldn’t be the same, but as to how drastic the change would be? Virgil didn’t know. He didn’t know anything anymore.

The two were pulled out of their reeling thought process by a violent earthquake shaking the Imagination.

“Wha-?” Janus clung to Virgil’s arm to keep his balance. Virgil looked around frantically. He drew in a sharp breath when he saw the red cracks in the distance. They were spreading rapidly. Much too rapidly.

“I… we gotta go to Thomas. It’s complicated, but this is another thing Roman did.” Virgil tried to explain while avoiding falling over. Janus let go of Virgil and began to make his way over to Patton. “What are you doing?!”

“Yeah, because we can _totally_ leave him here!” Janus yelled over the loud rumble of the Imagination. He took Patton by the arm and led him back over to Virgil. “Well, are we just going to _stand here?_ ”

Virgil immediately grasped Janus’s shoulder in a death grip and quickly sunk out of the Imagination.

———————

The sight Virgil came upon was heart-stopping. Thomas was on the floor, tightly clutching his head in pain. Roman sat by him, trying his best to help. If the situation wasn’t so urgent, Virgil would have laughed at the irony. The anxious Side rushed to Thomas, leaving Janus and Patton to themselves. He placed a hand on Thomas’s shoulder.

“Thomas? Thomas, can you look at me?” Virgil was trying to remain calm, even though he was internally panicking.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Roman leaped to his feet and summoned his katana. “Step away from Thomas, foul fiend! I will not allow you to hurt him!”

“I’m trying to _help!_ ” Virgil snapped. He sure didn’t miss Roman’s stinging insults. He had forgotten how much they had hurt, though he hadn’t wanted to admit it. It was like agony, like Roman’s katana being driven through his heart with each biting word.

A pained groan from Thomas reminded Virgil of what he had originally come to do.

“Thomas, I’m here. It’s…” Virgil trailed off when he remembered who else was there. “It’s… _Anxiety_.” The word was bitter on Virgil’s tongue. It reminded him of the long, far too long period of time where he was alone. When only Patton seemed to show him genuine kindness, and even _that_ never happened very often.

“Don’t worry about him, Thomas. Your prince has come to save you!” Roman put on all the theatrics as he spoke, ending with a bow.

“Princey, that’s not helping!” Virgil hissed. “If you’re gonna be standing, go get him a glass of water!” Virgil fought back tears. God, it hurt so _much._ He never wanted to yell at Roman, but he didn’t have much of a choice at this point.

Thankfully, the prince actually did what Virgil had told him to do. By that point, Thomas’s headache had gotten better, and he was able to go and sit down on the couch. Now, they were just sitting in silence. Both Thomas and Virgil knew that they were running out of time. The clock was ticking, and Thomas was the time bomb.

“Um, I hate to interrupt this _touching_ moment,” Janus cleared his throat as he walked over to the three. “Pa… Morality’s gone missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry this was so late  
>  I kind of lost motivation for the fic, but now i have it back yay

**Author's Note:**

> Neither Steven universe or Sanders sides belongs to me


End file.
